Military Transitioning Programs and Civilian Life Preparedness: A Phenomenological Study about the Process of Transitioning out of the Military and into the Civilian Life

Greenspun Hall, University of Nevada, Las Vegas

In recent years, there has been an increase in transitioning programs for military personnel. Since the September 11, attacks on America, millions of U.S. troops have been deployed to the Middle East. The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have jointly proved to be the longest running conflicts/campaigns in the history of the U.S. Over the past 15 years, approximately, 2.3 million sevicemembers have served in the U.S. military during this conflict.

This study will investigate the process of transitioning of servicemembers from a perspective of acculturation. By exploring the lived experience of veterans, this study will attempt to gain a better understanding of the transition process of military servicemembers. The study will use the acculturation framework, including the concepts of integration, assimilation, separation, and marginalization as part of the servicemembers’ lived experience transitioning from military to civilian culture.

The acculturation perspective is not new to the field of research. However, there is limited research examining the connection between acculturation and transitioning for veterans. The phenomenological process of acculturation is often used to explain the lived experiences individuals of different cultural backgrounds transitioning into another unfamiliar culture. Military members experience this phenomenon of acculturation due to the dual cultures they learn to exist in during and after their military service.